Machine for treating flax and other fibrous plants



:M 2:523 45 30 ga F. ONE'ILL, .ln.

MACHINE-FOR TREATING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS PLANTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11. 1914.- RENEWED OCT. 8, 1920.

Patented Feb. 22, 1921;

5 SHEETS-SHEET F; ONEILL, JRQ MACHINE FOR TREATING FLAX AND OTHERFIBROUS PLANTS.

. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11, 19l4- RENEWED OCT- 8.1920- 5 SHEET-SHEET2.

Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

F. O'NEILL, JR.

MACHINE FOR TREATING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS PLANTS.

APPLICATION HLE D SEPT.II, 1914. RENEWED am. 8. I920.

Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3- a fwd F. ONEILL, JR.

MACHINE FOR TREATING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS PLANTS. APPLICATION FILEDSEPT. 11. 1914. RENEWED 0CT,8,1920.

' 1,369,045, Patented Feb. 22,1921.

5 SHEETSSHET 4.

I gwuwm 5 1 2. I Xhtwm 0 640 4 j 2 MC A F. ONEILL, JR. MACHINE-FORTREATING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS PLANTS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11,1914. RENEWED OCT. 8. 1920.

1,369,045. Patented Feb. 22,1921.

5 SHEETSS HEET 5- wires srATss PATENT OFFICE.I

FRANK o ErLL, JR, or rARIS, KENTUCKY, ssrenon, BY DIRECT AND MESNE'ASSIGNMENTS, or FORTY-NINE oNnnUNnnnnTns To HIMSELF AND s. F. B.

MORSE, OF NEWYORK, N. Y., AND FIFTY-ONE ONE-HUNDREDTHS To WILLIAM T.,HUGULEY, on NEW YORK, N. Y.,-oHARLEs L. T. FISHER, OF WASHINGTON.DISTRICT or COLUMBIA, AND ROBERT P. SHIGK, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENN-sYLvANIA. I

MACHINE on TREATING FLAX AND OTHER ruinous PLANTS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK ONEILL, J12, of Paris, in the county ofBourbon, and in the State of Kentucky, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Machines for Treating Flax and other FibrousPlants,

and do hereby declare that the following is acter and quantity of itsproduct and so sturdy and strong'as to be ableto withstand, ,wlthoutderangement, the severe usage which work in the field involves, and inthe embodiment of myinventlon in machines for recovering theqseedso'fplants,

su -.h for example, as fia mtheproduction of capable of threshingorseparata machine out the seed during the passageoi't the plants throughthe decorti'cating mechanism and without the employment of special'instrnmentalities, OfIllGCllELlllSlH for threshing.

Tile basic principle upon which I have developed my BIVGIIUOIIJD dealnwith the plant structure for the separation of the fiber, is that oftheei'licient ancient hand and machete method which thoroughly decortlrates without any violent or harsh treatment that would endanger the@3812.

he drawings as embodiedin a machine for +1. L L y so as to recoverthefiloer Figure 1 is a side-elevation, somewhat dia v other;

To iliustratemy invention, I show it in' decortication of flax, such.machine be 1115, so constructed and organized as tothresh" portions ofthestalk, and to deal with Specification of Letters Patent. P t t F 2 9Applicationfiled September 11,1914, Serial No. 861,261. Renewed October8, 1920. Serial No. 415,679.

grammatic of a flax decorticating machine.

embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof with the feed table removed; Fig. 3 isa verticalsection of the decorticating'portion'of the machine on theline 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. .4 is a detail view ing rollsand scutcher blades of thedecorticating mechanism, partly "in section and partly in sideelevation;

Fig. 5 is a detail view in side elevation of one formofpressure-producing device for the plant conveyer;

of a pair of soften F lg. 5% is a detail top plan view of adjacent'p'ortions of the bars, or'sections of the pressure producing devce shown in.

Fig. 6 is across section thereof;

7 is plan view of a portion of (Illother form 01 pressureproducingdevice, Fig. 8 1s a detail V16W l11 cross section;

Fig. 9 is a detail view illustrating the two.

plant conveyers at the point. of transfer of plants from o'ne'to theother;

Fig. 10 is a detail view illustrating means i for varying, or adjustingthe extent of ap-.

proach ofa pair of scntcher blades-to each I Fig. 11 is a detail vi willustrating means for adjusting each individual blade to determine thedistance apart of ctioperating.

Fig.15is an end elevationof said blade section lookingat the receiving,or plantenten ing end; v I r v Fig-16 is a detail view lookingat the op}posite' ends of said blade sections Figs. 17 and 18 are detail viewsillustrating the effect of different adjustments ofthe workingedges ofthe scutcher blades; T

Fig. 19 is a vertical central section through the centrifugal separator;

Fig. 19 is a detail view in cross section of two of the radial arms ofthe centrifugal separator;

Fig. 20 is a top plan view thereof with the top or cover removed and thecircular grinding wheel and screen in horizontal sec tion;

Fig. 21 is a vertical section of said separator on a plane passingthrough the seed and shives discharging spout, a portion of theseparator being broken away;

Fig. 22 is an end elevation of the machine with parts in section.

The machine shown in the drawing is organized so that it has aframe 10adapted to be mounted upon carrying wheels 100 so that the machine maybe readily transported and used inthe field. Said frame may beconstructed of I-beams. or channels and it supports a horizontal feedtable 11 upon which the plants are placed and spread evenly and thin sothat they may be readily passed into a hopper 12 and their root ends.caught by a conveyer thatconsists of a pair of endless belts 13. Qne ofthe belts 13 passes over two pulleys or rollers 14:, while the otherbelt 13 passes over two pulleys 15, each contiguous to one of therollers 14 and over a third pulley, or roller 16, the rollers beingarranged so that each belt has upper and lower long horizontal runs withthe lower horizontal run of one belt adjacent the upper horizontal runof the other belt and it is between such adjacent horizontal runs thatthe root portion of the plants is gripped, The belts are ribbed orcorrugated longitudinally so that the longitudinal rib on one beltprojects into a groove in the op posite belt and thereby the clampedportion of the plant is caught or crimped between opposing ribs andgrooves and thus is securely held against longitudinal displace,

ment'while being subjected to the action of the decorticating apparatusthat exerts a longitudinal pull on the plants in the direction away fromthe belts. The plant-clamping adjacent portions of the belts aresupported by a horizontal track 17 and they are vieldingly pressedtoward each other while they clamp the plants by a series of springhcldpresser devices in the form of a series of bars 18 placed in alinementwith the ends of contiguous bars interlocking by a tongue and groovearrangement so as to provide a practically continuous or uninterruptedbearing surface against the uppermost run of the clamping runs of thetwo belts, so

that pressure is not relaxed at any time on the plants. Each bar, orsection 18 is pivotally suspended by parallel levers 19 that areconnected by a link 20 to one end of which is attached one end of aspring 21 whose other end is attached to some relatively stationarypoint so that its tension may be adjusted. The levers l9 inclineslightly forward in the direction of travel of the clamp portions of thebelts so as to avoid any danger of jannningforclogging.

A different form of pressure-producing means is shown in Figs. 7 and 8,which consists of a series of parallel small rollers 180 extendingobliquely across the belt, each roll-er being j ournaled at its ends inbearings 181 attached to each at the lower end of a vertically slidablerod 182 around which is placed a coil spring 183 that presses thebearing downward upon the belt. Preferably the rolls are positivelydriven and for this purpose their shafts are extended and provided withintermeshing pinions by which motion from one roller is transmitted toanother, and one of the rollers of the series being geared to a sourceof power. Alternate rolls are loose upon their shafts, and, hence,receive their motion from their contact with the belt against which theybear, and on the shaft of each of such loose rolls are idler gears,which, revolving in the opposite direction from said loose rollstransmit motion to the next succeeding rolls in the same direction inwhich the loose rolls are driven by their contact with the travelingbelt. By the obliquearrangement of the rollers it will be evident thatat no time is the plant between the runs of the belts without a grippingpressure and the oblique ar ra ngement of the rollers, since by theirrevolution they impart a sidewise tendency to the belt augments the grip011 the plants by the sidewise pressure of the'edges 0r sides of theoverflapping ribs of the longitudinal corrugations of the belts.

There are two sets of decorticating devices, one of which acts upon theplants for a portion of the length thereof, while the root parts areheld by the two belts 13 and the other set subsequently acts upon theportions of the plants inaccessible to the first set by reason of theengagement of the clamping belts therewith, and each of these setscomprises a plurality of opposing coacting. softening rolls and:scutching or scraper blades. These devices are moved lengthwise of theplants toward the free ends thereof, their action beginning first at ornear the free ends and continuing progressively away therefrom towardthe clamped or held portions of the plants. After the action of one setof softening and scutching devices the grip of the conveyor belts 13 isreleased, from the root or end portions of the plants and the seed orother end portions of the plants (having been first denuded of the seedand decorticated) l2arietclamped by the adjacent runs of similar Eachset of softening rolls and scutching blades consists of two series ofsoftening rollers 23 and scutching blades 24, respectively, mounted uponendless chains or carriers 25 and 26, the chains 25 passing over properwheels 27 on shafts 28 and the chains 26 passing-over proper wheels 29on shafts 30 so that there are horizontal runs of the chains 25 and 26that are parallel and which bringsoftening rollers 23 in opposing pairsand scutching blades 2% in opposing pairs. Each roll 23 is journaled inarms 31 that are hinged or pivoted to brackets 32 that are riveted tothe sprocket chains 25 or 26, as the case may be, and so that the upperone of a pair of opposing rolls may have a limited swinging motiontoward the other to automatically compensate for different thicknessesof straw or stalks and always exert a proper feeding pressure thereonand each scutching blade 24; is lined to anarm 33 which is hinged to.abracket 34L likewise riveted, or fixed to the sprocket chains so that apair of opposing scutching blades may have a limited movement toward andfrom each other. The blade carrying arms 33 are provided withantifriction rollers 35, which, by travel of the arms with their chainsencounter rails 86 having inclined surfaces 37 which acting upon therollers swing the opposing blades toward each other to cause them tobite upon, or against the plants passing between them and a pair ofcooperating blades is so disposed that the edge of one blade is slightlyin advance of the edge of the other and in a plane to one side of ahorizontal plane passing through the points of contact of the softeningrollers 23, the result of this arrangement being that the stalk of theplant is abruptly bent between the two blades and after emerging frombetween them passes at an inclination to the point where the rollersengage it so that such a sharp vor abrupt bend is given the stalk as toresult in the fracture of the woody portion of the stalk and its protrusion from the fibers so that the scraping effect of the blades upon itbecomes highly eflicacious. one side of a pair of softening rolls hasits edges where thestalk emerges between them situated in aplane higherthan a horizontal plane passing through the-point of contact of therolls while the pair of scutching blades on the other side where thestalk emerges from between them is situated be- It is desirable to avoida too abrupt, or

The pair of scutching blades at The formation'bf the edges of'the harshbending of the straw because of the danger of breaking, or injuring theline fiber. I avoidthis, while at the same time bending the straw to thesharp degree that is important to effect the fracture of the woodyportions by making the bend a grad-- ual process which I accomplish bysuch arrangement and adjustment of the scutcher blades, as isillustrated in Figs. 10 to 14 of the drawings.

As shown in Figs. 14, 15 and 16, the first acting blade sections of twoopposing, or 00- operating series of scutchers have their working edgesdiverging in the directionv abrupt until the angle is quite acute (asshown in Fig. 16-) when the straw passes from said first acting bladesto the next in I the series. Thus, though finally the sharp, or acutebend which is important is secured, it is accomplished so gradually thatinjury. to the fiber is prevented.

To the same end, namely, that of the application of pressure to thestock so as to securedecortication without injury to the fiber, meansfor adjusting the scutcher blades so as to place their working edges inthe most advantageousposition, are necessary. The necessary adjustmentsinvolve the spacing of the working edge of opposing blades in thedirection of the length of the plants and in a direction crosswisethereof. Obviously the less distance between such edges in the directionof the length of theplant and the greater distance between theplanesoccupied by suchedges in a directlon crosswise of the length of theplant, the i sharper the bend of the plant and changes 1n, or ad ustmentof these distances modifiesthe angle of the bend; As illustrated in Fig.10, the spacing of the working edges of the blades in a directioncrosswise of the plants is changeable, or adjustable by mounting theguidebars 36 upon adjustable brackets, or supports 470. the spacingbetween the working edges in the direction of the length of the plantsthe arrangement illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13 may be used. The sprocketwheel shafts of ad acent chains are geared together by a gear 261fixedon one shaft and a gear 262 loose on the other shaft upon whichshaft is secured a collar 263 having a screw 26%, one end of which is inthe path of a lug 265, pro ecting from the side of the gear 262.

For changing By adjusting the screw 26%, so as to change the point, inthe rotation of the gear 262,

' roller.

where the lug 265 will strike the screw, the chain which receives motionfrom said gear 262 can be moved without movement of the chain connectedwith the gear 261, and hence, the distance between the working edges ofthe scutcher blades in the direction of travel thereof along the lengthof the stalks can be adjusted.

In each of Figs. 10, 12 and 13, the one adjustment controls all of thescutcher blades. It is desirable to provide for individual adjustment ofthe scutcher blades. For that purpose, the arrangement illustrated inFig. 11 may be employed which consists simply of liners, or shims 2&0,placed back of the scutcher blades.

In Figs 'lY and 18 the effect of changing the spacing between theworking edges of opposing scutcher blades, is illustrated, Fig. 1'?showing such relation as gives initially a very slight bend and Fig. 18one that gives a sharp bend to the plant.

It is highly important that the plant between a pair of scutching bladesand a pair of softening rollers 93 should not be drawn tight, but itmust be in a loose, or relaxed condition in order to cause theprotrusion beyond the fibers of the internal woody, or husk portionswhen broken to bring about the efficient scraping action of thescutching blades. I produce this desirable condition by impartingrotation to the sot'tei ing rollers 23 in direction and at a peripheralspeed that causes them to feed or move the plants from them toward thescntching blades. A simple way of causing such revolution of the rollersis to provide a pinion 38 on the end of the lower roller and a stationary rack 39 with which the pinion meshes so that as the roller movesalong in its travel with the chains the rack will cause the revolutionof the pinion and of the F or the treatment of flax, the surfaces of therollers 23 that engages the stalk are smooth and the function of theserollers merely to crush or break down the woody material and therebyloosen the fiber, but without breaking the woody material into shortlengths, for that function is performed by the scutching blades.

The scutcher blades incline upward and rearward from the straw, withreference to the direction of travel of the blades over the straw.

Besides their movement lengthwise of the stalks or plants, the scutchingblades 34: have a movement crosswise thereof, which movement is broughtabout by providing the guide rails 37 with an undulating, or wavelikecam surface 40 over which the rollers 35 ride and these undulatorysurfaces are so arranged that a pair of scutching blades vibrates inunison so that their proper cooperating position with reference to theplant is at all times maintained. It will thus be seen that not only dothe scutching blades act by bending and scraping, but by a vibratorymovement crosswise of the length of the plants they tend to loosen andseparate the fiber and the woody portions of the stalk.

W lnle the scutching blades are acting upon the plants lengthwise of thelatter, the plants are being carried along in a direction crosswise oftheir lengths by the action of the conveyor belt 13, and in order tosecure the progressive treatment of the plants from one end thereoftoward the center, I provide aseries of scutcher blades 3% of a totallength equal to the distance traveled by the plants when moving with thecarrier belts 13 and bringing the various sections of a bladesuccessively into action by such disposition of the inclined portions ofthe cam bars 37 as will accomplish that result. This means merely havingone or more cam bars 37 for each blade section and setting the inclinedportions thereof at the desired points successively along the line oftravel of the blades with their carrying chains.

Until the inclined portions of the cam bars 37 act upon the rollers 35,an opposing pair of scutcher blades are sufficiently far apart not totouch the plants, but as soon as the rollers encounter the inclines thenthe blades approach each other with the result that the blades thatfirst act upon the plants by their gradual approach toward each otherencounter the seeds 211K detach the same from the plants so that theseeding operation takes place during the approach of the scutcher bladesto the point where one has its advancing edge projected beyond thecorresponding edge of the other and gives to the straw the sharp bendthat breaks the woody material of the straw.

After passing. from between the adjacent runs of the chains 25 and 26the free ends of the fiber completely decorticated are caught andclamped between adjacent runs of two belts ll, corresponding to the twobelts l3 and the as yet undecorticated portions of the plant arepresented thereby to the action of the softening rollers 23 and thescutching blades 24 on the lower run of the chains 26 and similarsoftening rollers 4-2 and scutching blades 43 011 endless chains a lwhich are supported by wheels 45 on the shafts 46, earn bars4:7 beingprovided to control the positions and movements of the scutching blades43. It will thus be seen that I make the chain 26 and the softeningrollers and scutching blades thereof cooperate with each of two similarmechanisms and thus provide a simplified and compact structure.

The fiber completely decorticated and having the seed completely removed(if the plants dealt with carry seed) the seed being removed or threshedby the action of the first acting pair of scutoher blades, is deliveredas line fiber from between the belts 11 to a trough or collector 18'.

The seed, short fibers and shive are discharged from the decorticatingmechanisms are carried by a slatted apron 49 to a belt conveyer 4-9 bywhich they are delivered to a centrifugal separator 50 by which thefiber in the form of tow is separated from the seed and woody portions,the fiber being discharged therefrom at the outlet 51 while the seed andshives are discharged from the centrifugal separator by a spout 52 thatdelivers them to a reciprocating screen and pan 53 from which the seedand light chaff are delivered to a slatted, or skeleton con veyer 5&while the shives are discharged to an endless conveyor 55 by which theyare removed to some convenient point. The seed and chaff falling betweenthe slats of the skeleton conveyor 54- come opposite the inlet end of anair trunk or flue 561 leading to a rotary fan 560 mounted on the shaftof the centrifugal separator by which the light chaff is separated fromthe seed so that the seed .is finally delivered from the machine in acleaned condition by the skeleton conveyer, which moves it over asupporting table 540.

The centrifugal separator 50, has preferably, but not necessarily, thedetails of construction illustrated in Figs. 19 to 21. It comprises acylindrical vertical shell, or housing 55 having a closed bottom and atop that is closed, except for certain necessary openings, which housingis mounted upon the machine frame.- Upon a central vertical shaft 56passing through the housing and having a band wheel 57 beneath it forbelting to a suitable source of power, is the rotating member thatcomprises a series ofradial arms 58, which, at their tops lie adjacentto radial arms 59 on the underside of the top of the housing, the twoseries of arms, one stationary and the other revolving forming softeningor scutching devices which act upon the stock delivered through theopening 60 in said top from the belt conveyor 1-9 softening and breakingup in short lengths the woody husk. In the spaces between the rotatingradiating arms are placed segment shape perforated plates 61 that thusform a rotating screen through which broken husk, or shives and the seedmay pass into the bottom of the housing and be discharged therefrom intothe spout 52 by which they are delivered to the reciprocating screen 53.\Vithin the housing there is a vertical wall 62 that is curvedconcentric with the rotating member and lies close to the peripherythereof upon the inner surface of .which are numerous smallprotuberances, or projections 63 in contact with which the stock at theperiphery of the rotating memher is carried as the latter revolves, thusbreaking up the husk and softening the fiber, and in order to contributeto this effect the periphery of the rotating member, preferably atintervals, is provided with sawteeth-like projections 64. The intervalsbetween the groups of projections 64 are provided with circumferentiallyextendingnarrow chambers 65 adapted to receive quantities of stock,which, by the action of the protuberances 68, as the stock revolves withthe rotating member causes the tumbling about of the mass of stockwithin such chambers and conduces to the breaking up of the woody huskand the softenin of the fiber without injury to the latter. The verticalwall 62 is provided with holes or slots 66 which make of said wall avertical screen which permits the outward passage of the shives and seedwhile preventing the escape of the fiber so that the shives and seedthus screened are finally delivered to the spout 52 while the cleanedfiber in the form of tow passes into the outlet 51 at the sides of whichthe vertical screen 62 terminates to permit the discharge of the fiberfrom within the screen. The radial arms 58 of the rotating member extendbeneath the bottoms of the chambers 65 and beneath the vertical screen62 so that they engage and act upon the shives and seed which passthrough the screen 62 and by centrifugal force expel the same into thespout 52. The tow delivered from the centrifugal decorticator andseparator is, of course, in the tangled condition of wool, or cotton,and it may be carded to place it in condition for spinning, or put tosuch other uses for which it may be fitted.

The rollers 14: and 15 over which the conveyer belts 13 pass at thehopper are reduced in diameter at one end for a distance correspondingto the seed-carrying portions of the plant so that the seed in passingbe tween said rollers will not be crushed or otherwise injured althoughbeing subjected to a" slight squeezing pressure which breaks open orcrushes the seed balls. The end portions of the softening. rollers 23 ofthe first cecorticating mechanism in contact with which the seed maycome, are also reduced in diameter for the like purpose of preventinginjury to the seed.

By reference to Fig. 1, it will be observed that the intermediate memberof the decorticating mechanism is offset or projected at the feed end ofthe machine beyond the upper member and that at the plant-transfer endof the machine the lowermost decorticating member is offset, orprojected beyond the adjacent intermediatemember and that the feed beltsin both cases are situated mechanism because the free portionof theplants held by the conveyer belts at these two points in the machinerest upon the offset, or projecting portions of the soften-' ingrollers, which thereby in effect become a part of the plant-feedingmechanism.

Just in advance of the hopper 12 the feed table has an opening 67 toosmall for the passage of plants of normal length and in a separatedcondition, which leads to a hopper 68 for receiving tangled straw orstock, which on being passed into said hopper is taken by an endlessslatted apron 69 and carried thereby to the conveyer 49 which deliversit to the centrifugal separator 50 by which the separation of the fiberin the form of tow, and the seed and chaff are eifected. The slattedapron 69 discharges to a table 70 over which the lower run of theconveyer 19 passes on its way to the opening 60 in the top of thecentrifugal separator and over which the material delivered to theconveyer 49 is carried by the latter to said opening. The conveyer 49may he of stitched canvas to provide a rough surface to carry along thematerial, or it may be provided with slats. The material which mayconsist of tangled and short stuff and long straws, is placed upon thefeed table and pushed along t-hereover passing first over the smallopening 67 into which any tangled and short stuff too small to passthereover will fall, and then by a continued movement of the remainderthe latter is de livered to the larger opening. Sometimes in the fieldoperation of the machine there may be only the short and tangled stuffleft, and in that event it is delivered directly into the small hopper67. If any short stuff finds its way into the larger hopper, obviouslythe first efiect of the scutchers thereon is to pull out the short stuffwhich will thereupon fall into the apron, or conveyer that delivers itto the centrifugal separator and decorticator.

Rolls 71 similar to the softening rolls may be mounted upon the chains25 and 26 to cooperate in pairs on the stock on the sides of thescutcher blades opposite the softening rolls 23 for the purpose ofresisting the pull on the stock against the grip of the conveyer belts,this effect being obtainet by imparting a revolution of the rolls '7].in opposition to the direction of travel of the scutching blades, suchrevolution being produced by a pinion and rack arrangement similar tothat employed for revolving the rolls 23 and the rate of revolutiongiving a peripheral speed just enough to answer the purpose.

Only a brief description of the operation of the machine shown, isnecessary. The plants are placed upon the feeding table and spread out,or scattered thin, and even, with the root end of the straw placed sothat it will enter between the feed belts 13 with the seed ends passingbetween the reduced portions of the belt rollers 14 at the inlet end ofthe machine. The straw as it passes along with the belts 13 has the seedballs crushed by the action of said rollers 14 thereby facilitating thesubsequent action of the scutcher blades to which the seed portion ofthe straw are presented for the removal of the seed, in themosteflicient manner by said blades. Continuing along with the belts 13,the straw is subjected to the softening action of the rolls 23 and thento the bending and scraping action of the scutcher blades, the strawbeing progressively acted upon from the seed end to a given point beyondthe longitudinal center of the straw. The limit of travel with the belts13 being reached. the root portion of the straw passes from between saidbelts and simultaneously the decorticated opposite end of the straw iscaught by the conveyer formed by the lower belts 41 which feed thepartially decor red straw in the opposite direction for the :1"- tion ofthe other set of softening and scutching devices which operate upon theundecorticated portions ot the straw working thereon progressively fromthe end to, or slightly beyond the point where the first deeorticatingmechanism completes its operation and from the second conveyor formed bythe belts 41, line fiber is delivered while the remainder of thematerial, consisting of shives, seed and tow, passes to the rentrifugalseparator for further treatment and final delivery from the machine in aseparated condition. An important feature of my inyention is themanipulation of the straw while passing through the decorticatingmechanism by which it is alternately bent in opposite directions whilein different planes,

for thereby the treatment is highly eilicient.

but mild and free from danger in injuring the fiber. It will be seenthat the flattening of the straw preliminary to bending and scraping it,as for example by the squeezing action of the feed rollers, results inplacing the straw in a condition which avoids breaking of the line fiberand facilitates the subsequent removal of the woody portion of thestraw. Thus the operation on the straw is first its flattening and thena sliding and crushing action that results in the gentle fracture of thewoody portion of the straw without injury to the line fiber, and thenits separation from the line fiber. Should the straw be abruptly bent inits round, or unflattened state, injury to the line fiber and resultingtow is unavoidable.

As will be evident, changes in details ot construction and. organizationof the vari ous parts of the machine illustrated. as en bodying myinvention may be made without departure from the spirit, 'or principleof my invention. and some elements or mean hers maybe altogetheromitted, or used in other relations. It is, therefore, to be understoodthat the machine shown in the drawings is but one of many embodiments ofmy invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. In a machine ofthe class described, the combination of scutchers extending in a seriesin the direction of the length of the plants, the respective scutchersconsisting of independent sections mounted for independent movementtoward and from the plants, and means for bringing the scutcher sectionsinto effective operation upon the plants progressively in the directionin which the series extend.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of scutchersextending in a series in the direction of the length of the plants, therespective scutchers of the series, consisting of independent sectionsmounted for independent movement toward and from the plants, and suchsections situated side by side in the direction crosswise of the plants,and means for bringingthe respective scutcher sections into effectiveoperation upon the plants v 3. In a machine of the class described, thecombination of scutchers extending in a series in the direction of thelength of the plants, the respective scutchers of the series,

consisting of independent sections mounted for lndependent movementtoward and from the plants, and such sections situated side by side inthe direction crosswise of the plants,

means for bringing the respective scutcher sections into efiectiveoperation upon the plants, plant holding means, and means to move thescutchers lengthwise of the plants.

a. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a holder forthe plants, scutchers that slide lengthwise of the plants, and spacedapart in the direction of the length of the plants, and means forproducing a slack condition of the plants intermediate the scutchers.

In a machine of the class described, the combination of a conveyer whichengages the plants for a portion of their length, three endless seriesof scutchers placed along side of each other. and a secondplant-engaging conveyor, one of said conveyors presenting the plants tothe action of opposing scutchers of the two series running in the samedirection, and the other conveyor presenting plants to the action ofopposing scutchers running in the opposite direction.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a holderadapted to engage the plants for a portion of their length, opposingseries of scutchers connected together in two traveling endless series,plant-engaging rolls alternating with the scutchers in each series, andmeans for slacking the por.

tion of the plants between a pair of scutchers and a pair of rolls.

a 7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a holderadapted to engage the plants for a portion of their length, opposingseries of scutchers connected to gether in two traveling endless series,plantengaging rolls alternating with the scutchers in each series, andmeans for revolving said rolls in a direction that moves the portion ofthe plants between them and a pair of scutchers in the direction towardthe latter, whereby such portion of the plants is slacked.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a holderadapted to engage the plants for a portion of their length, opposingseries of scutchers connected together in two traveling endless seriesand movable crosswise of their direction of travel, and means to vibrateopposing scutchers as they travel along.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a holderadapted to engage the plants for a portion of their length, opposingseries of scutchers connected together in two traveling endless seriesand movable crosswise of their direction of travel, and means to vibrateopposing scutchers as they travel along, comprising oppositescutcheractuating cam tracks.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination ofdecorticating mechanism, a separator to which the product of thedecorticating mechanism is delivered, and means for delivering stockdirectly to said separator independently of the decorticating mechanism.

11. In a machine of the class described, the combination ofdecorticating mechanism, a combined decorticator and separatorcomprising a housing, and a rotary member within the housing; saidrotary member having stock-engaging arms, and said housing havingstock-engaging arms, and a curvilinear screen. with which the peripheryof said rotary member coacts.

12. In a machine of the class described,a decorticating mechanismcomprising opposing pairs of traveling scutcher blades having stockengaging edges which are in different planes and an intermediatestockengaging surface situated between said planes whereby the stock isalternately bent in opposlte directlons.

13. In a machine of the class described, a

scutching mechanism comprising two travelin series of opposing bladesand opposing rollers, the pairs of blades on opposite sides of a pair ofrollers having their stock-engaging edges in planes respectively onopposite sides of the plane of the point of contact of the rollers.

14:. In a machine of the class described,

ent movable sections in the direction of travel of the plants with theconveyer, the first series of said scutchers provided with inclinedoperating edges inclined in the direction of travel of the plants withthe conveyer.

15. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a conveyerwhich engages the plants for a portion of their length, scutchersextending in a series of independent movable sections in the direc tionof travel of the plants with the conveyer, and means for adjusting thehorizontal and vertical positions or spacings of said scutchersindependently.

16. In a. machine of the class described, the combination of a plantholder, opposing pairs of scutcher blades, and means to adjust thedistance between the working parts of said blades both lengthwise andcrosswise of the plants.

17. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a holderadapted to engage the plants for a portion of their length, and a seriesof alining disconnected pressure members acting u JOIl said holder, theends of adjacent mem ers interlocking bya tongue and groove formation.

18. In a machine of the class described, the combination of adecorticating mechanism, a combined decorticator and separatorcomprising a housing, a rotary member within the housing, said rotarymember having stock-engaging arms, said housinghaving stock-engagingarms, and a horizontal screen placed between the stock-engaging arms,near the top working edges of said arms.

19. In a machine of the class described, the combination of adecorticating mechanism, a combined decorticator and separatorcomprising a housing, a rotary member within the housing, said rotarymember having stock-engaging arms, and a screen placed between said armsnear their working edges, said housing provided with stock-engagingarms, and a curvilinear screen with whichthe periphery of said rotarymember coacts, said curvilinear screen provided with protuberancescoacting with the periphery of said rotating member.

20. In a machine of the class described, the combination ofdecorticating mechanisms, a rotary separator and decorticator,

and a vibrating screen receiving material from said rotary separator.

21. In a machine of the class described, the combination ofdecorticatingi mechanisms, a rotary separator and decorticat-or, avibrating screen, and pan receiving material from said rotary member, askeleton conveyer receiving material from said vibrating pan and screen,means for operating said screen and pan, and a suction device having aninlet end adjacent said skeleton conveyer to separate the dust and lightchaff from the seed delivered to said skeleton conveyer.

22. In a machine of the class described, the combination ofdecorticating mechanisms, a rotary separator and decorticator, avibrating screen and pan, a suction device and skeleton conveyer actingupon material from said pan and screen, a belt conveyer receivingmaterial from the latter, and means for delivering the Woody portions ofthe plants from the machine separate from the seed. r

23. In a machine of the class described, the combination ofdecorticating mechanisms, an initial feeding and softening mechanism,consisting of sets of opposed pressure roll ers, the rollers of one setbeing ofiset longitudinally of an adjacent set, and conveyer beltspassing over the offset portions of said rollers.

24. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a conveyerwhich engages the plants for a portion of their length, decorticatingmechanisms comprising scntcner blades and roller softening members,portions of the roller members having a smaller diameter to crush theseed balls without injuring the seed, and means to remove the seed.

25. In a machine of the class described, the combination ofplant-holding means, opposing seutcher blades having their operatingedges diverging from each other in a direction crosswise of the lengthof the plants, and means to cause said edges to act progressively alongthe length of the plant.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK ONEILL, JR.

lVitnesses S. R. NORMAN, W. T. I-IUGULEY.

